In response to a recent announcement from Google and Verizon Communications that they have offered a proposal to policymakers for keeping the Internet open, several dozen people gathered just outside Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., Friday to protest the Internet giant's actions.

Saying the proposal would lead to a more closed and controlled Internet, activists from public-policy advocacy groups MoveOn.org and Free Press led a peaceful demonstration at Google's doorstep, complete with songs of revolution and protest chants.

The crux of the complaint stems from the fact the current proposal allows wireless providers to skirt open-access rules, a central facet of Net neutrality. Opponents of the proposal say that would allow Internet service providers to restrict access to content and essentially control which content is delivered over their network.